While attending Fashion's Night Out at the Galleria mall in Dallas, my friends and I gathered together along the runway and eagerly anticipated a fall fashion show showcasing the latest trends. As the show began, we gazed carefully at each model's attire from head to toe and pointed out those which we liked the most. We quickly snapped photos and continued our observations of each model's representation of their designer brand. The show was fun to watch, and the models did a great job, but as I headed home I couldn't help but ask myself this question:

After the hair comes down, the makeup is wiped away and the clothes are hung back in the closet, what remains?

As a culture, it's safe to say that we put a strong emphasis on outer appearance. While there's nothing wrong with enjoying fashion and style, which I do very much, we must remember that our identity is not based on what or "who" we wear. We must find our greatest joy in things that are unseen and our identity in Christ alone.

If you're anything like me, you can relate to a time when you bought an item that seemed irresistible in the store. You just had to have it. And yet, once you bought it and tried it on again at home, it didn't have the same affect. Away from the bright lights and thumping music in the shopping store, it just wasn't...well...worth it.

That's what it's like in life. We have to be careful of "believing the hype" and getting caught up in things that don't matter. We've got to keep first things first and focus our attention on the eternal rather than the temporal. Our goal should be to dress well outwardly and inwardly alike.

Did you know that as believers we are God's kingdom models? Our assignment from our Designer is to represent His "brand" in the earth and model His lifestyle. God has called us to wear His custom-made "labels" and display His kingdom to others. To model His love and joy on the catwalk of life. To model His peace and wear our blessings well. Colossians 3:10, 12-14 in The Message translation says it like this:

Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

When we wear the wardrobe that God has picked out for us, we will always look our best. His love and kindness will never fade or go out of style. So, if you're wondering what the fall-must have items are for this season, these are our Designer's top picks! Let's confidently and boldly model His way of living. His wardrobe will never grow old...and there's nothing more beautiful and flattering to wear than that.

Hey everyone!
I just wanted to take a moment to thank you so much for joining me on my first year with Beauty Marked! The last 12 months certainly flew by! Here's a quick video from me and an opportunity to participate in a free giveaway! Let's celebrate! Tell me what your favorite post was from this year and why in a comment below as an entry for the giveaway! You can also share your favorite post on facebook and twitter with hashtag #BeautyMarked for an extra entry! The winner will be contacted via email and announced on a post next week!

At some point in every young woman's life, she looks in the mirror and silently asks herself: "Am I ugly or pretty?" Looking intently at her reflection, the blemishes on her face seem to grow in size. Comparing herself to the popular girls at school and models on the magazine covers & music videos, she feels overweight and/or underdeveloped. My hair is too short. My ears are too big. My eyes are too small. My nose is too big. My skin is too dark. Thoughts like these swirl through her mind, building in intensity and growing louder and louder until she escapes from the mirror in disgust, wishing she looked like someone else. I can remember having this experience as a young woman, and know full well what it's like to battle thoughts of insecurity and inadequacy.

This sign caught my eye at Bare Minerals today and I must say, this is the most inspiring thing I've seen at the mall in a long time. Ladies, pretty truly is not enough. God has called us to be beautiful and to leave our beauty mark on the world. Be encouraged today that God can use our beauty to lead people to Him. To change the world! Just like Esther, our beauty & loveliness can open a door of opportunity to save a generation of people! Beautiful one, you are a force of beauty for the kingdom. Let your light shine and never dim your light to make others feel comfortable. Be bold in who you are and leave your mark!

Emonne Markland
Leave Your Beauty Mark

P.S. My husband & I will be recording our Attractive Factor love story video soon so be on the lookout! XO

Selecting a spouse is one of the most important decisions that we can make in our lives. That one decision has a ripple effect, pouring into all areas of life: physical, mental and spiritual. Many different factors come into play when selecting a spouse, but what should be the top priorities? For many people, physical attraction is the number one factor, and sometimes even the deciding factor. But as believers, should our standards be the same? Should physical attraction be the top priority and deciding factor when selecting a spouse? I’ve asked this question of myself and others, and have searched the scriptures for biblical examples and answers to this poignant question. Here is what I believe to be an informed answer:

Hello beauties!
I first would like to say thank you for your prayers regarding The Pink Lid girls conference and the entire Miami trip. I had no idea what a blessing it would be to my family and me. God did exceedingly, abundantly, above ALL that I could ask or even think! Not only did we have a fabulous time of ministry with the girls in Miami, Florida, but we had a great time of relaxation at the beach and on a day date. Below are some highlights from the trip!

Friday Night at The Pink Lid:

The Pink Lid: Saturday

For more amazing pictures from The Pink Lid, click here. For information on getting the Pink Lid to come to your church, visit The Pink Lid website.

After the conference, we spent some time with our close friends Matt & Alyssa Shull and Valeriana Chikoti-Bandua. On Tuesday, the last day of our trip, Stephan and I spent the day in Hollywood Beach at the boardwalk and had a whole day of fun and relaxation to ourselves!

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One of my favorite moments of relaxation during the trip was riding bikes with Stephan along the Hollywood Beach boardwalk. I will never forget how fun that was.

I also recorded a video while on the boardwalk that I included in a previous post. If you haven't seen it already, click here.

This past week was one of the best weeks of my life. I haven't had this much fun in a loooooong time. It was our first family vacation and largest Pink Lid conference to date! Thank you for taking the time to share in my joy and take a glimpse into this special moment in time with me. I know that even better days are ahead. And I can only imagine what God has in store!

I am so excited to begin the Pink Lid girls conference this evening at Words of Life Fellowship Church in Miami Beach, Florida. I had the opportunity to speak to the young people at Lifeforce Youth (the youth ministry at WOLFC) on Wednesday and was so blessed by their energy and excitement about God. I can only imagine how exciting it will be to see the young women of Miami come together for a weekend to worship God and learn about His perspective of beauty and purity. If you're in the Miami area or know a young woman that is, please encourage them to come! Registration is available at the door! Also, please join in agreement with me and the team here for lives to be forever changed and impacted by the power of God and the truth of His Word. Thank you for your prayers and support! I can't wait to share the testimonies and pictures with you soon!

Bloom: a state or time of beauty, freshness and vigor; a state of high development or achievement; to mature into achievement of one's potential; to flourish in youthful beauty, freshness or excellence; to shine out; glow

A number of weeks ago, the word “bloom” sprang up in my heart. Given the fact that I absolutely love doing word studies, I immediately began to search high and low for the various definitions of bloom and the scriptures associated with it. I even preached a message on it at my church! Over the last few weeks, a new joy and hope for this Spring began to rise up in my heart. As you know from my previous post, I absolutely love Spring. But this study of the word "bloom" and what the Bible has to say about Spring has given me a new-found love for the season. There is so much goodness packed into this five-letter word that is rarely used outside of Springtime and often overlooked. I truly believe that our Heavenly Father is speaking in the midst of this season, and through this simple yet profound word. My sisters, my friends, it is officially time to bloom. It’s time to arise from our sleep, as a seed rests in the darkness of winter below the ground, and spring forth into the newness that God has for us.

“For as the earth bursts with spring wildflowers, and as a garden cascades with blossoms, So the Master, God, brings righteousness into full bloom and puts praise on display before the nations.” Is. 61:11 MSG

This past weekend, we celebrated the beautiful sacrifice of Jesus' death on the cross and His glorious resurrection. As a result of His life, death and resurrection, righteousness and praise have sprung forth throughout the world as people of all nations have received Him by faith. In other words, because He rose, we can arise! Because He bloomed, we can bloom!

This Spring, I am full of expectation for God to move in a great way in our lives and resurrect some things that have lay dormant. As my mom says in her book, Pray-ers Bear Fruit, "without a death, there can be no resurrection". Maybe you have been in a dry season for a while and it seems like God's voice has been a faint whisper, or maybe even silent. Maybe you've experienced the death of a dream and feel like there is no hope for a new beginning. Maybe you're in a relationship that is struggling to survive and you feel like the love is long gone. Oh, my sister, Jesus is about to resurrect your situation. He is fully aware of and well able to raise up that dead situation in your life and breathe a new life into it this season. Encourage yourself in the Lord. Build your faith through the Word. Don't believe the enemy's report. Believe the report of the Lord! He has positioned you for a miracle this season! We are about to see things that we've never seen before, do things we've never done before and go places we've never gone before.

Get ready to shine. Get ready to spring forth. Get ready to glow. Get ready to bloom.

For a number of years now, Spring has been a season of new beginnings in my life. As many of you know, I had a health trial in April 2007 where I had to undergo and recover from major lung surgery to remove a malignant mass. It was quite a storm, but looking back I know that it was the catalyst to many of the blessings that were to come in my life. Then, fast forward two years later, I married my husband in April of 2009, a special sign of redemption and love from the Lord that brought and still brings me great joy. Now, fast forward another two years to April 2011, the month that I gave birth to my gorgeous daughter Grace, once again showing the great victory that we have in Jesus and His ability to give us double for our trouble. So, as you can see, Spring has a great connotation to me personally and brings me great joy. The following scripture passage was in my wedding program and beautifully expresses the joy and abundance of this lovely season:

Song of Solomon 2:10-13

“My beloved spoke and said to me:

‘Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.

For lo, the winter is past,

The rain is over and gone.

The flowers appear on the earth;

The time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.

The fig tree puts forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grapes

Give a good smell.

Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.’ ”

As the Spring blossoms appear all throughout the country, I believe that there is a whisper of change being proclaimed to those that have ears to hear and eyes to see. Not just in the physical, but in the spiritual as well. Seeds that were sown in times of darkness, quietness and uncertainty that once were dead are springing forth in our lives, giving evidence to the faithfulness of our God and His ability to make all things new. The season of cold, difficult, laboring, toiling winter is coming to an end and a new season of joy, peace and rest is arising. God is calling us to rise up, shaking off the guilt of the past and forgetting the things which are behind. Come out from the shadows and chains of sins and grab hold of our freedom in Christ. He is calling us to shine forth in our God-given beauty, referring to us as His “fair ones”, fair meaning beautiful, lovely, clean, pure, fine, pleasing to the eye or mind especially because of fresh, charming or flawless quality. It’s time to embrace who we are in Christ, not necessarily because we deserve to be called fair or even feel fair, but because that is how our Father sees us. Lastly, He is calling us to come away with Him. Come to Him and away from the world. Draw near to Him and allow Him to draw near to us. Get lost in His presence. Make time for Him and go deeper in intimacy with Him, silencing the noise of our busy schedules and tuning our ears to the voice of heaven. As we surrender our plans and our agendas to set aside this special time with Him, we will begin to bloom.

Prayer:

Father, I thank you so much for your Word, that beautifully restores my soul and uplifts me in my time of need. I thank you for the season of Spring, as buds form and bloom throughout the earth as a sign to your children of the new things ahead. As we take time to come away in your presence and meditate on your Word, I ask that you reveal Yourself to us in a new way. Open our spiritual eyes to see and our spiritual ears to hear your voice through this season. Enlighten us by your Word. Captivate us in your presence. Illuminate us with your glory. I pray right now, Father, in Jesus’ Name, that you will help us to keep our focus on you. That we will begin a new season of devotion and commitment to you as we prepare to celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Just like a seed, He died, was planted in the earth and rose again on the third day, springing forth as a majestic, eternal bloom, bearing the seeds of generational salvation for many to come. We thank you and praise you for your mighty works, God. To you be all the glory and honor and praise, both now and forever. Amen.

Emonne Markland

Leave Your Beauty Mark

P.S. I encourage you to study and meditate on Song of Solomon 2:10-13 this week. Allow this passage to get into your spirit and spring forth new revelation. I personally have found profound revelation on these scriptures from the commentaries of Matthew Henry, Scofield’s reference notes (1917 edition), Wesley’s explanatory notes and Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, all of which can be found within the free Bible Study Tools app. In these references, Song of Solomon 2:10-13 is explained as a metaphor of turning away from sin and the law and the beauty and newness of Christ’s coming, bringing a wonderful season of joy to those that receive Him. I highly recommend reviewing those commentaries, as they are rich with truth. As you study, please feel free to come back to this post and share your thoughts on what the Lord is revealing to you through this passage.

This morning, I was getting my husband a breakfast burrito and smoothie from the grocery store and at the checkout I realized that I didn't have my debit card in my hand or pocket. I searched frantically as the 5 million people in line behind me that were probably in a rush to get to work on time waited patiently for this young mom to find her money to pay for her order. I couldn't find the card anywhere so I hurried and just payed with cash. After getting my order, I sat off to the side and continued to search for the card. Still, nothing. I went back to the line that I ordered from and asked if the clerk had found my card by chance. The lady behind me in line said that someone in the bakery department found a card and was asking everyone if it was theirs and was headed to customer service to drop it off. I thanked the lady & zoomed to the customer service desk. While I waited to be helped, another woman was coming to clock in for work and stopped to talk to Grace, my 7 month old daughter, and me. We got to talking about kids and she began to share with me the importance of praying for your children. She told me that she is standing in faith for her adult children that are away from the Lord right now, but that she knows they will come back into relationship with Him. I shared with her that my mom just wrote a book on prayer and handed her a business card to get more information on the book. She seemed very excited, and we said goodbye, shook hands and exchanged smiles. She said that God sent us her way this morning & that she really needed a smile. She told me that her name is Patty & that she works in the floral department and would love for me to visit her sometime. I assured her that I would as I walked away with a smile, thankful that what seemed to be an inconvenience and set back of my time was really a set up for me to be a blessing and blessed in return! I dropped off my husband's breakfast & smoothie, went back to the store for another burrito (they just looked too good to pass up!) and then headed home on my usual route. As I approached the stop light near my home, my heart sank as I saw a number of emergency lights flickering in the distance. When I got closer, I saw that two cars had crashed and two others had gone into the ditch and it didn't look good at all. Fire trucks were everywhere, one of which I captured quickly on my phone as you can see above. As I drove past the scene and headed home, I realized that my inconvenience was even more than a blessing, it was a means of protection. My baby girl & I could have very well been involved in that accident as we were headed home today. Thank you, Jesus, for your hand at work in my life, keeping my daughter and me safe from hurt, harm and danger. Thank you for intervening in my day, even though I thought I was being held up by losing my card. I know that it wasn't just a coincidence. I also thank you for protecting and caring for those that were in the accident. Be with them and give them peace. Allow them to see your hand in the midst of this situation. And bless Patti, Lord. May her children come to know You in a real and powerful way this week. In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.

Today, allow God to arrange (and rearrange) your schedule. He may be setting you up for a blessing, and protecting you from harm.

Steve Jobs was a visionary and innovator that changed the way that we live. Apple products have not only become a vital part of our every day lives, but they have been used to further the Gospel message of Jesus Christ in a dynamic way. As I watch the news coverage and remember the life of Steve Jobs, I cannot help but think of all of the millions of people around the world that have been affected as a result of his passion for technology and determination to make the impossible possible. Even when things seemed to be going down hill for Apple, he fought to bring the company back to life and never gave up on his dreams. Regardless of how amazing each product was, he was always reaching higher and demanding more excellence for the next version. He not only dreamed of great products and user-friendly technology, but he made them a reality that all of the world would benefit from. As I write this post on my MacBook Pro and periodically check my iPhone, I am reminded of how much his products have affected my life. He truly left his "beauty mark" on our world and has been deemed the Thomas Edison of our time.

What dream is stirring in your heart that could potentially affect our world for generations to come? What could you create if you silenced the loud distractions in your life and allowed your creative juices to flow freely from your heart and into the hands of others? How will you be remembered? How can you leave your beauty mark on the world? These are the questions that I challenge you to ponder as you remember the life of Steve Jobs.

We are all created with a seed of destiny waiting to spring forth and bear fruit that will leave a beautiful mark on the hearts and lives of others. May we all be encouraged to discover our potential and use all of our might to passionately pursue the purpose in which we were created for.

P.S. Thanks to Steve Jobs, the following apps are a part of my every day life and are used to enhance my reading & hearing of the Word and my ability to connect with other like-minded people around the world:

YouVersion- My digital bible & bible reading companion. I constantly use it to cross-reference during my study time and love reading all of my favorite scriptures in various versions. A must-have.

Billy Graham Evangelistic Association- We all know that Billy Graham is the greatest evangelist of the century. This app keeps me connected to all of his greatest sermons via video and audio. Powerful.

TBN Mobile- I've been watching Trinity Broadcasting Network since I was a child. Now, I can watch it live with my baby girl on the go right from my iPhone and never have to miss a show!

Last night, I was captivated by the 9/11 documentaries that flooded the TV stations. Stories of sorrow, heroism, bravery and hope played over and over again. The images of that horrific day pierced my heart to the core. Like many other Americans, I can remember exactly where I was when I heard the news of the attacks. On September 11th, 2001, I was a freshman in high school sitting in my first period class when an announcement was made over the PA system from our principal stating that something bad happened in New York City. When that class concluded, I went to my next period and watched the TV with my teacher and classmates in disbelief. The images of people running through the streets of New York City covered in white ash seemed like something out of a movie. Watching an airplane go through the second building and seeing both buildings fall to the ground was utterly unimaginable. What began as a normal school day turned into a day of mourning and desperation, and an attempt to have class as usual was completely out of the question as we all tried to wrap our minds around what was happening.

How can people be so evil? Why did this horrible event happen to so many good people? What is going on in the world? These were all of the questions that ran through my mind all throughout the rest of my school day as I longed to be at home with my family that I love so dear. After what seemed like an eternity, I finally finished out my school day and watched more coverage of the attack at home with my parents and brother. I believe that these questions, and many others like them, have gone through all of our minds in the wake of the terrorist attack on 9/11, and only God truly knows the answers.

If you are reading this today, there’s a great chance that you or someone you know was directly affected by this horrible act of terrorism. If you personally lost a friend or loved one on 9/11, I cannot begin to imagine how you feel and I am so sorry for your loss. The thought of losing a loved one in such an evil way is inconceivable to me. It’s been said that time heals all wounds, but I don’t believe that to be true. Even though it has been 10 years since 9/11, I’m sure that the hurt still remains in many hearts. Although there are many things that I don’t know or understand about this tragedy, I do know this without a shadow of a doubt: that there is hope in Jesus Christ and that God specializes in bringing good things out of hopeless situations. In Isaiah 61, the Word of God tells us that Jesus came to “console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:3-4 NKJV)

As we take time today to reflect on the events of 9/11, I believe that we must make a conscious effort to see the beauty in the ashes. To remember all of the brave fireman, policeman and every day Americans that risked their lives for their fellow Americans as they exemplified the greatest commandment in loving their neighbor as themselves. May we be thankful for the lives that were spared and rejoice in the great stories of triumph and the will to survive in the face of death. May we give to God our questions, concerns, sorrow, mourning and ashes from this tragic event and receive joy, beauty and praise instead.

Fashion's Night Out 2011 here in the DFW area was a great success. From Northpark Center to Galleria Dallas, fashion enthusiasts across the city united for a fun night of shopping and entertainment. Here's a recap of how I spent my night!
What I wore:

Honestly, I had the hardest time deciding what to wear for the night. Fun tee and feather skirt? All black? Color blocks? Dress? Pants? Skinny jeans? I looked at pictures of what people wore last year and even checked out a few blog posts on what to wear. Finally, with the help of my husband and mom, I decided on this simple, classy outfit. Stylish and modest are always my style goals.

The venue:

I did some research on each venue and chose to attend the FNO festivities at the Southlake Town Square, an outdoor shopping center in Southlake, TX. The location was close to home and my mom and I wanted to enjoy the beautiful weather, so we knew it would be a great place to spend our night. Upon our arrival, I must admit that I was slightly surprised by the small crowd and lack of "hype". As we drove farther into the center, we saw that a crowd had gathered to see a fashion show that was going on. We parked and watched the show and then I took a picture on the FNO red carpet. Loved that.

What we did:

We started at Sephora where they were doing some makeup tutorials and offered refreshments from a local restaurant. We spent some time talking to the makeup artists and I was able to snag a pic with the lovely Stila cosmetics ladies. (Hello, Dani, if you're reading this!) I love Stila's Brown Sugar Lip Glaze, by the way. It's a little pricey for my taste but it's the perfect nude color for my skin tone. I usually request a new tube on my Christmas list each year.

After Sephora, we walked to Lemongrass Salon & Spa. On the way there, since they laid out the red carpet all throughout the shopping center, I snagged a fun photo of mom!

Now, I must say, my experience at Lemongrass Salon & Spa was the best part of our night. We both received a complimentary neck & back massage and were treated like queens. The staff was incredibly friendly and Nikki (our massage therapist) did a fabulous job. I had no idea how bad I needed that! They also had great refreshments including chocolate-covered strawberries, grapes, cheese and crackers and water with fruit floating in the jar. It was delicious. They also had hair care demonstrations and gave a goody bag of makeup and beauty product samples to each shopper. Well done, Lemongrass.

Our final stop for the evening was at Vera Bradley, and man is that place decorated to a T! I could live in there! Anyways, we saw some shoppers throughout the event carrying Very Bradley eco-friendly shopping bags and they told us that they were giving them away for free at the Vera Bradley store after you complete a handbag design sheet. So, like any free-stuff-loving shopper, we headed over fast. We sat down at the style workshop center in the store and spent at least 30 minutes working on our handbag designs using the colored pencils and rulers that they provided. After our designs were complete, we admired each other's creativity and went to the register to hand in our designs and get our free bags. Sadly, the associate notified us that they had just ran out and gave us some compact mirrors instead. We were disappointed to say the least, but the compacts were cute and featured patterns from this season's new designs. Here's a look at the handbags we designed.

My final verdict on FNO:

All in all, we had a great time together and were able to mingle with other ladies throughout the night. This was the first time that we had a mother/daughter night out as just the two of us since the baby was born! We got massages, free goodies, ideas on what to wear this fall from the fashion show and walked the red carpet. I would definitely suggest marking your calendar for next year and planning to go out with the special ladies in your life for FNO. It's a great opportunity to get dressed up and have some fun! Although there are some exclusive offers in the stores, you don't have to spend money. You can just browse around, get ideas for your fall wardrobe and make it a fun girl's night out with your Bible study group! My mother and I look forward to making this an annual mother and daughter tradition, and one day take Grace along with us!

Ideas/ Suggestions for next year:

Here are 7 tips that I formulated based on my experience at FNO and what I plan to incorporate into and consider for next year's plans:

1. Go out to eat before or after the event

Make a night of it! This year, I cooked and ate at home. Eating out would cost money, but if planned ahead of time it would really make the night fun. It would also keep you from devouring the refreshment platters!

2. Plan your outfit ahead of time

Try on various outfits and consider the following:

a. It's an evening event so incorporate colors/fabrics/patterns that are appropriate for night

Keep in mind that no matter where you're spending your night, you are guaranteed to be doing a lot of walking.

4. Review the event calendar of the venue that you will be going to.

Select the top stores/ events that you want to attend and find out where they are located. This will save you a lot of time during the evening and ensure that you do the things that you really want to do.

5. Carpool!

Depending on where you're going, there may be a lot of traffic and difficulty parking, not to mention the possible parking fees! You're not always guaranteed parking spots near each other so this will make things so much easier, plus it's good for the environment! Turn up your favorite car tunes, sing and dance, and make the car ride one of the funnest parts of your night!

6. Arrive at your venue early.

Consider the fact that you may need to park far away and walk to the events. Give yourself time to attend the events at ease without rushing.

7. Have fun!

Take pictures! Get your makeup done! Buy a cute top if you see one! Just have fun.

So, how did you participate in FNO in your area? Do you have any suggestions for next year's Fashion's Night Out? I'd love to know! Share your thoughts below!

Tomorrow evening, from 6pm to 11pm, fashionistas all over the world will be participating in the 3rd annual Fashion's Night Out: an extravagant night of all-things fashion and shopping. Celebrities, models, designers, fashion editors, style bloggers and shoppers (of course) will all join together and celebrate their love of fashion at the exclusive FNO events.

In 2009, American Vogue, the Council of Fashion Designers of America, NYC & Company and the City of New York created Fashion's Night Out to celebrate fashion, restore consumer confidence, boost the industry's economy and put the fun back in shopping. Three years later, FNO is bigger and better than ever, and has now spread to cities small and large all over the world! Here in Dallas, events include fall fashion shows, special discount & promotions, stylist contests, free food, free manicures and much more. This will be my first year participating in FNO, and I am SO looking forward to it! I plan to spend the evening with the woman who has taught me how to shop and inspired my love for style & fashion, my mother. I can't wait to hit the town with her tomorrow, dressed in something fierce and ready for some fun. (Special thanks to my hubby for watching the baby!) I'll be sure to post some pictures soon! For real-time coverage and photos from FNO here in Dallas, follow me on twitter.

Want to get dressed up with your friends and participate in the fun? Find a FNO event in your area here. And while you're out tomorrow night, don't forget to allow your light to shine and let your beauty draw people to Christ. You never know how God may use you to bring healing and restoration to someone's life as you leave your beauty mark on the hearts and lives of those around you!

Hey ladies! I have had so many post ideas in my mind over the past week or so that I decided to do a vlog for now and give you a chance to see me in person! I always love when other bloggers do that so I figured I'd give it a try too :). (By the way, do you have any topics or post ideas that you would like me to address? Let me know if you do!)

In this video, I share the purpose of this blog, as well as my testimony...and introduce you to my baby girl! Hopefully you will find my story encouraging and see the heart behind my passion for women's ministry and re-defining beauty according to God's Word. Thank you for stopping by and I look forward to sharing with you again soon!

Lately, I've been having a lot of fun with my style...and baby Grace has been right there with me! Bright colors, frilly skirts and fun jewelry have been my staples. Here's a look at what we've been wearing!

This past weekend I had the pleasure of speaking to a group of young girls in Sand Springs, Oklahoma at The Pink Lid Purity Conference. It was a wonderful experience and we received great feedback on how the girls' lives were changed by receiving the truth from God's word regarding beauty & purity. On Friday night I shared a message called Breaking the Chains that I have been speaking on for the past two years at various youth events. God gave me new revelation on the subject and it was exciting to share the message of freedom in Christ with the girls in Sand Springs.
I also helped model for our modesty fashion show and showed the girls how to have style and still be modest. It was so fun! I even had two girls from the audience walk with me down the runway at one point. They loved it & so did I. :)

On Saturday, I spoke on not settling for less than what God has for you in a mate & explained to them what true loves was based on what God has to say. Through videos about Godly couples and how they met, open panel discussions with me & our entire speaking team, makeup tutorials, dynamic messages on beauty and purity and group discussions that help apply the messages to each girl's specific needs, I know that the girls were blessed and left the conference full of God's truth regarding purity and beauty.

At the end of the conference, the girls made a pledge to remain pure in their thoughts and actions as they wait until the day they say I do to the man that God has for them. I signed as a witness to a few of the girls' purity pledges and was honored to do so. It means the world to me to use my gift of speaking and my testimony to help reach the generation of young women coming up behind me.

Next month, we will be doing another conference in Ada, OK and I can't wait!

Does your church have a purity conference or are you interested in having our team come to your church? Watch this video.

Hello beautiful ladies!!
Today has been a fairly relaxing day. I've been at home with the baby and my mom stopped by to visit for a bit. This morning I took some time to study in preparation for my trip to Oklahoma this weekend for The Pink Lid purity conference. It will be my first time preaching as a momma! My perspective on life has changed so much and my passion for young women knowing the truth about beauty and purity has intensified as a result. I'm delivering a message of freedom based on Isaiah 61 and various other scriptures. As women of God that have accepted the free gift of salvation, we are entitled to the freedom that Jesus died to give us!

Isaiah 61:1-3 tells us that God equipped Jesus with anointing and the Holy Spirit in order to preach good news to the poor, set the captives free, proclaim the year of Jubilee (see Leviticus 25:8-17), heal the brokenhearted, comfort those who mourn, and to give us BEAUTY for ashes! He has also given us the oil of joy in place of mourning and a garment of praise in place of heaviness that we may be called the trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord that He may be glorified!

I have shared this message numerous times over the past 2 years and every time it is such a joy to deliver. Thank you, Jesus for the freedom that you died to give us! May we stand fast in this freedom and never go back to our former life of bondage (see Galatians 5:1)

This week I encourage you to take time to study Isaiah 61 and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal this message to your spirit like never before. May every weight, every burden and every chain that has held you down from your past be broken THIS WEEK in Jesus' Name! May you receive the freedom and beauty that Christ came to give you & may He be glorified in your walk of freedom!

Be sure to come back and share what God has spoken to you as you read and meditate on this message of freedom!